Cursed Cold One Frost Mage

[Mystify]

An interesting character concept occured to me, and I am trying to figure out how it would work.

The race is a Cursed Cold One(Gelun), found in sandstorm pg. 145
The class is a Frost Mage, found in frostburn on pg. 59

A Gelun freezes solid if they are anyplace under 110 degrees Fahrenheit, entering a state of extreme hibernation. However, they are otherwise unharmed. This would allow them to survive a blizzard unprotected for 24 hours(though they would likely need someone else to rescue them afterwords), as is required for Frost mage.

a Gelun is immune to fire, and heals 1 hp for every 3 points of fire damage it would take. It is also vulnerable to cold, taking 50% more damage from cold.

A Frost mage becomes immune to cold and vulnerable to fire at 10th level.

The question is, how to these interact? One possibility I see is that it is simply immune to cold, but will also regenerate from fire damage as normal.

Another possibility is that the vulnerability to fire magnifies the damage by 50%, then you heal 1 hp for every 3 fire damage you gain.

Thoughts?

[Thrice Dead Cat]

As there are multiple replacement effects here, you stack them in the most beneficial order (or whatever order you want, but usually the most beneficial) unless the abilities your stacking say otherwise, of course.

In this case, if the Gelun Frost Mage took 20 fire damage, he would throw that up to 30 fire damage and instead heal 10.

[Myth]

I always thought immunities override extra % damage. For example, if my [Fire] Elemental Savant Wizard casts Energy Immunity to make herself immune to Cold damage, a subsequent Cone of Cold will be ineffective against her, instead of doing regular damage.

Because immnity is described as: "immunity to a single type of energy: fire, cold, electricity, acid, or sonic. The subject takes no damage from the energy of the specific type." so takes no damage. means takes no damage regardless if it's 50% extra or normal or 50% less.

As such you'd be immune to both types of damage. Fire healing is unaffected by your immunity to cold by RAW although your DM might have something to say about that.

[Mystify]

I always thought immunities override extra % damage. For example, if my [Fire] Elemental Savant Wizard casts Energy Immunity to make herself immune to Cold damage, a subsequent Cone of Cold will be ineffective against her, instead of doing regular damage.

Because immnity is described as: "immunity to a single type of energy: fire, cold, electricity, acid, or sonic. The subject takes no damage from the energy of the specific type." so takes no damage. means takes no damage regardless if it's 50% extra or normal or 50% less.

As such you'd be immune to both types of damage. Fire healing is unaffected by your immunity to cold by RAW although your DM might have something to say about that.

For one, I am the DM, so it is my decision. However, the wording of the healing is "Any magical attack that deals fire damage to a cursed cold one heals 1 point of damage for each 3 points of damage the attack would otherwise deal". So without the fire immunity, it would be taking 50% extra damage, so it should be healing 50% extra.

[Alleine]

However, the wording of the healing is "Any magical attack that deals fire damage to a cursed cold one heals 1 point of damage for each 3 points of damage the attack would otherwise deal". So without the fire immunity, it would be taking 50% extra damage, so it should be healing 50% extra.

That sounds right to me. The Gelun's Fire Immunity doesn't work like normal fire immunity, so vulnerability shouldn't be canceled by it.

The cold immunity you may need to be more wary of. You're immune but still vulnerable, though that may never come into play unless this guy is a recurring villain or something. If someone takes the Piercing Cold feat from Frostburn, they'll be able to bypass your cold immunity and actually deal full damage. Not something to worry about, but to keep in mind.

[Mystify]

That sounds right to me. The Gelun's Fire Immunity doesn't work like normal fire immunity, so vulnerability shouldn't be canceled by it.

The cold immunity you may need to be more wary of. You're immune but still vulnerable, though that may never come into play unless this guy is a recurring villain or something. If someone takes the Piercing Cold feat from Frostburn, they'll be able to bypass your cold immunity and actually deal full damage. Not something to worry about, but to keep in mind.

Actually, the immunity comes from gaining the cold subtype, so the Piercing Cold feat wouldn't help.

That does raise an interesting question; How would the searing spell metamagic work on them? It would ignore their fire immunity, and deals double damage for the cold subtype(I assume this replaces the extra 50% for the cold subtype). However, does the healing still kick in? Nothing says the healing would go away, but it seems counter-intuitive that you would take damage and be healed simultaneously.

[Alleine]

Actually, the immunity comes from gaining the cold subtype, so the Piercing Cold feat wouldn't help.

That does raise an interesting question; How would the searing spell metamagic work on them? It would ignore their fire immunity, and deals double damage for the cold subtype(I assume this replaces the extra 50% for the cold subtype). However, does the healing still kick in? Nothing says the healing would go away, but it seems counter-intuitive that you would take damage and be healed simultaneously.

Hmm, missed that part of it. My bad. I guess it makes sense though.

I'm not sure about the searing spell bit though. My initial reaction is that they aren't really immune to fire, even though that's what the ability is called. They just convert damage to health so you can't really overcome their immunity, if that makes any sense. I'm probably interpreting that wrong though :P


I don't think it would work the way you suggest. If anything the searing spell would simply overcome their immunity, and so they take damage.

"Any magical attack that deals fire damage to a cursed cold one heals 1 point of damage for each 3 points of damage the attack would otherwise deal"

If the searing spell bypasses the fire immunity, it's going to deal the damage. There's no negation so they healing doesn't kick in because it only works if they Gelun isn't taking damage from the attack. I hope that makes sense.

[Jothki]

How is the cold immunity worded? You might still end up freezing solid in normal environments, even with the immunity.

[Mystify]

How is the cold immunity worded? You might still end up freezing solid in normal environments, even with the immunity.

As near as I can tell, yes, they still freeze in normal environments. This does make the mandatory Frozen Magic feat useless to them.

At 10th level, the frost mage’s body
has become perfectly adapted to cold energy. He gains the
cold subtype, granting him immunity to cold. His oneness
with cold, however, makes him more susceptible to fl ame.
Just like any other creature with the cold subtype, he gains
vulnerability to fi re, which means he takes half again as
much (+50%) damage as normal from fi re, regardless of
whether or not a saving throw is allowed, or if the save is a
success or a failure.


Heat Reliant (Ex): Unless a cursed cold one inhabits
an environment where the temperature remains
above 110 oF, it frosts over and freezes solid, entering
a state of extreme hibernation. It is extremely vulnerable
during such periods, essentially helpless. On the
other hand, while enjoying environments of severe
heal or hotter, cursed cold ones function normally,
gaining all the nutrition and energy they need from
the warmth itself.

Nothing implies they will interact.